Traveling With Medical Marijuana – All You Need to Know

It’s always tricky knowing if you’re in the legal clear when traveling with cannabis, even medical marijuana that a physician prescribes for varying health conditions.

That aside, there is nothing we respect more than individuals looking out for their health and finding relief in the sacred cannabis plant.

For that reason, we decided to give medical patients a complete rundown on traveling with their medicine in the United States, Canada, and internationally.

If you’re traveling from a state with a medical marijuana program to a state with the same laws, you should be in the clear. It’s always important to look at your destination’s laws regarding medical cannabis use and if they allow visiting Americans to bring cannabis products from their home state.

We suggest looking at your airline’s regulations to ensure they allow patients to bring medical marijuana.

However, some states do not allow medical users to bring their medicine over state lines, even if it’s legal in both places. That said, states with these laws usually allow visiting patients with medical cards to get their prescriptions from a physician.

Unfortunately, in terms of flying into a state with no medical program, we have to warn you that this isn’t legal or welcomed. The same goes for flying internationally to countries where weed is not legal in any form.

Even if a country has cannabis decriminalized, like Spain or the Netherlands, The Cannigma reports one story of medical cannabis patient flying from Amsterdam to Barcelona with five grams on him. Although he had a prescription, airport security wasn’t too happy with his amount.

He was eventually cleared and given the green light, but this is just one example of the challenges you might face when flying internationally.

The legal amount of cannabis to travel with domestically in Canada is 30 grams. Medical patients may be allowed to bring a bit more only if they have the proper documentation to prove it.

Expect to be called over by airport security when traveling with cannabis in Canada, recreational or medicinal; it’s the protocol for security to ensure you’re carrying the legal amount. It’s also wise to let staff know that you’re carrying marijuana as soon as you can, which may be at the luggage check or security clearance.

Like the United States, medical marijuana patients in Canada may only be allowed to bring their medicine to countries that have legalized cannabis in some form. And this should be a federal level, so flying into a weed-legal state like California with cannabis packed in your luggage will not fly with American airlines.

Finally, if you choose to travel internationally with medical cannabis, you must look into the weed laws at your destination and the airline’s regulations regarding carrying marijuana.